Group apologizes after appearance by banned Alaska professor

ANCHORAGE, Alaska (AP) — A national archaeology organization has apologized for the attendance of a banned Alaska professor at its annual meeting.

The written apology from the Society for American Archaeology on Wednesday followed growing criticism after former University of Alaska Anchorage professor David Yesner appeared at the organization's annual meeting, The Anchorage Daily News reported.

The organization removed the retired anthropology professor from the meeting in Albuquerque, New Mexico, on April 12 within hours of receiving complaints from participants, officials said.

Others have disputed the timeline described by the organization, saying that society officials knew about Yesner's presence at the five-day meeting the day before his removal.

A society spokeswoman did not immediately return calls from the newspaper, but a statement says the organization is responding to members' concerns and suggestions for improvement.

Yesner could not be reached for comment Wednesday.

The University of Alaska Anchorage alerted students April 8 that Yesner was banned from all University of Alaska properties and events and they should call university police if they see him.

The ban was implemented over sexual misconduct allegations made by nine women spanning a period of decades that a Title IX investigation found to be credible, the university said.

The Title IX law prohibits sex discrimination in education programs that receive federal money. Discrimination can include sexual harassment or sexual violence.

The society is an international organization based in Washington, D.C., representing about 7,500 professional, student and amateur archaeologists, according to its website.

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